Gujral's first slip - The Pioneer
Editorial
()
8 May 1997
Title : Gujral's first slip
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Pioneer
Date : May 8, 1997
In appointing Professor Bhabani Sengupta as officer on Special Duty the Prime
Minister made an error of judgement the implications of which will haunt him for a
long time to come. It is not just that the good Professor holds views that are at
complete variance with the national consensus. Rather, the problem lies with the
Prime Minister's sense of judgement. It lies with the message the Prime Minister
was, inadvertently or otherwise, giving the country and the world at large. Mr
Sengupta's views on disarmament are well known, so too is the fact that he chose
to write a rather unfortunate letter to the New York Times in 1974 which sought to
paper over the real issues of disarmament in a manner that is prejudicial to the
national interest. Just as his views on disarmament are well known. so also are
his feelings on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Isn't it a little strange that
the Professor who has devoted a substantial part of his time to disarmament,
should seek to retract his previously stated views on the CTBT by claiming that
there was an aspect of the Government of India's principled stance to the CTBT
that he only lately came to appreciate?
While his departure has undoubtedly brought relief to the Ministry of External
Affairs and a large number of anxious South Block watchers, the alacrity with
which Mr Gujral performed a somersault on the issue may, however, cause some
concern to his limited number of loyalists. This is not to suggest that the Prime
Minister should have made Mr Sengupta's continuance a prestige issue. However, he
could surely have put up a token defence in public while privately urging his
friend to make a hurried exit. In these circumstances, it remains to be seen if
an embittered Mr Sengupta, the reported father of the 'Gujral Doctrine', will
continue lending support to the Prime Minister from ,outside' rather than from
inside the PMO. This was an altogether avoidable episode in the political soap
opera that is currently keeping the country engrossed. On the brighter side,
hopefully, this would have the happy effect of blunting some of the more romantic
elements of the Prime Minister's way of making policy and appointing friends.
Taken to its logical conclusion, with an OSD holding the foreign brief at the PMO,
the South Block was in the danger of becoming redundant. What with Professor
Sengupta holding forth on all the subjects under the sun in a situation where the
more interested component of the audience would not have to pay entertainment tax.
All of this would have been funny, if it had not been for the ramifications.
There is a distinct possibility that the Prime Minister may have, by creating a
post with the potential of overriding national interests, and placing someone
whose views are not exactly conventional, sought to force a debate involving the
very foundations of the foreign policy. While acknowledging the need for such a
debate, it should be pointed out that this can be done through other means at a
more appropriate time.
